The battle of grey hair

I

have to be honest, my hair is much greyer than I like, so I confess I have been colouring it for years.  I know it’s just vanity, but I’m only in my early 40’s and don’t want to be grey yet.  I’m not just talking about a few grey hairs – it’s almost all grey, in fact I started going grey in my early 20’s. Now if I looked like Jamie Lee Curtis I wouldn't mind, but it's just plain patchy!
I have noticed over the last year that whenever I colour my hair, it fades very quickly and is very patchy taking up colour.  I have been using increasingly lighter blonde hair colour, but within 2 weeks it’s mostly faded out.  I have searched the internet, spoken to my hairdresser at length but just couldn’t find an answer.  I have tried almost every brand of home colour – with pretty much the same results… 

How permanent colour works

The outer layer of the hair shaft – the cuticle – must be opened in order to allow the new colour in before the permanent colour can be deposited into the hair.  Once it is open, the dye reacts with the inner part of the hair – the cortex – to add or remove colour.  Most permanent colours use ammonia to open the cuticle and as a catalyst when the dye comes together with the peroxide.  Peroxide is used as a developer or oxidizing agent which removes existing colour.  Then a new colour is added to the cortex before the conditioners close the cuticle again (About.com)

Why do we get grey hair?

·         Prematurely grey hair, grey hair around the temples and hairline and coarse hairs are more resistant to colour and quicker to lose colour.

·         Genetics play a role, as do smoking and dietary deficiencies (International Journal of Trichology)

·         Hypothyroidism can cause early greying according to University of Michigan Health System

Home treatments to improve hair colouring and quality

·         It is suggested that grey hair can take up to 45 minutes to colour so you may choose to leave colour on for longer than suggested in the instructions (How stuff works)

·         You should wear a hat, or use hair product with sunscreen in summer to prevent colour from fading and hair from becoming dry

·         Before going swimming, rinse your hair through to dilute the action of the chlorine

·         Blot your hair dry – don’t rub it with a towel or wrap it in a towel.

·         Avoid overdrying – blow dry until almost dry, but not completely dry.

There are many suggested home treatments on the internet, all aiming to prevent dryness and condition your hair – ranging from mayonnaise to olive oil to coconut oil.  There are so many I suggest you Google ‘home treatments for coloured hair’ to see what you would like to try. 

My hairdresser has suggested that my hair is resistant to hair dye in places and that where it does take up dye it then the cuticles don’t close and the colour leaks out within a few washes.  I have been trying to condition my hair regularly (with an intensive treatment once a week) to see if it uptakes dye better, as well as improving my diet (see my other blog on dietary supports for hair) to close the cuticles, so I will update you with my progress!

Future possibilities

There is a lot of information on the internet about the use of PC-KUS which is a compound which has been found to reverse lack of pigmentation found in both grey hair and vitiligo.  The research suggests that hydrogen peroxide starts to accumulate in hair follicles as a result of oxidative stress (happening in most people by middle age).  This effectively bleaches hair from the inside out.   PC-KUS can be applied topically to the hair and it converts the hydrogen peroxide in the follicle to water and oxygen which allows hair to return to its original colour (International Business Times, The FASEB Journal).  This is experimental research in its early stages (International Journal of Trichology) but it does support the hypothesis that oxidative stress plays a role in the aging process.

It is not clear at the moment whether it is colouring our hair (with products that contain peroxide) that worsens the increase in hydrogen peroxide.

A product containing PC-KUS is available on Amazon at £40 a bottle (called depo-melanin), but there is not much information around to confirm its effectiveness.  The product has to be used regularly as it cannot alter hair which has already grown through or previously coloured, takes 6-12 weeks to show a difference and then must be used as a maintenance treatment.  So it could be an expensive home treatment which is not well proven in its effectiveness yet.

However, oxidative stress happens all the time in our bodies and we use anti-oxidants to fight this, so it would be sensible to eat foods containing anti-oxidants to see what effect these may have over a long period of time.  These include kidney beans, cooked tomatoes, turmeric, broccoli, wheatgrass, grapefruit, onions, strawberries, blueberries, raspberry, prunes, apples and cranberries (WebMD, Guardian UK).

References

How stuff works (nd) “How hair colouring works”.  Available at: http://science.howstuffworks.com/innovation/everyday-innovations/hair-coloring3.htm 

International Business Times (2013) What is PC-KUS?  Available at: http://www.ibtimes.com/what-pc-kus-all-about-new-gray-hair-cure-backed-actual-science-1241793#

About.com (nd) Hair Colour Chemistry.  Available at: http://chemistry.about.com/cs/howthingswork/a/aa101203a.htm

The FASEB Journal (2009) Senile hair graying: H2O2-mediated oxidative stress affects human hair color by blunting methionine sulfoxide repair.  Available at: http://www.fasebj.org/content/23/7/2065.abstract 

WebMD (nd) 20 common foods with highest anti-oxidants.  Available at: http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/20-common-foods-most-antioxidants

Guardian UK (2006) Seven super rich anti-oxidant foods.  Available at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2006/sep/16/healthandwellbeing.foodanddrink

International Journal of Trichology (2009) Oxidative stress in aging hair.  Available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2929555/ 

All about hypertension

High blood pressure is known as the silent killer since it rarely produces obvious symptoms.  The only way usually you know you have it is to have your blood pressure measured.  Around 30% of the population in England have hypertension (NHS). The NHS recommend that you have your blood pressure checked every 5 years.

Hypertension symptoms

There are some symptoms where blood pressure is very high.  These include:

·         A persistent headache
·         Blurred or double vision
·         Nosebleeds
·         Shortness of breath

How is it measured and what do the numbers mean?

Your blood pressure (BP) measures how strongly your blood presses against the walls of your arteries. If it is too high it puts a strain on your arteries and heart and makes it more likely that you will suffer a heart attack, stroke or kidney disease (NHS).

Your BP is measured in millimetres of mercury (mmHg) and is measured in 2 figures.

·         Systolic: the pressure of your blood as your heart pumps out
·         Diastolic: the pressure of your blood when your heart rests in between beats

You are diagnosed as having hypertension when separate readings show you consistently have a BP over 140/90 (NHS).  A blood pressure of 130/80 or below is considered to be normal.  Just because you have had a higher than normal reading does not mean you have hypertension as your pressure fluctuates during the day and will rise when you are anxious (such as being at the doctors!).

You should sit down to take your BP, not be talking, have rested for 5 minutes and emptied your bladder.

Types of hypertension

If there is no specific cause, doctors refer to it as primary hypertension.  In about 10% of cases, hypertension is the result of an underlying condition (in which case you have secondary hypertension).  Common causes include:

·         Kidney disease
·         Diabetes
·         Narrowing of the arteries
·         Hormonal conditions (such as Cushings syndrome where you produce excess steroid hormones)
·         Conditions affecting body tissues such as Lupus
·         Oral contraceptive pill
·         NSAIDS painkillers including Ibuprofen
·         Recreational drugs such as cocaine, amphetamine and crystal meth
·         Some herbal supplements

Risk factors

Your BP can rise as you get older, but you are considered to be at risk if you:

·         Are overweight
·         Have a relative with high blood pressure
·         Are of African or Caribbean descent
·         Eat a lot of salt
·         Don’t eat a lot of fruit and vegetables
·         Don’t do enough exercise
·         Drink a lot of coffee or other caffeinated drinks
·         Drink a lot of alcohol
·         Are over 65

Will I need to take medication?

·         If you pressure is slightly above 130/80 mmHg but your risk of cardiovascular disease is low, you will be able to lower your BP by making lifestyle changes
·         If your pressure is moderately high 140/90mmHg and you are at risk of cardiovascular disease in the next 10 years, your doctor is likely to prescribe medication and lifestyle adjustments
·         If your pressure is very high 180/110mmHg then you will need treatment and further tests (NHS).

References

NHS (2012) High blood pressure (hypertension).  Available at: http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Blood-pressure-(high)/Pages/Introduction.aspx

Types of anger and how we express them

From personal experience I can name a number of ways I have expressed anger.  I like to think of myself as a fairly calm, adaptable and laid back person, but my anger can range from the extreme anger where I feel totally out of control, to ranting to my friends, waking up in the middle of the night ranting in my head or just simple irritation with my children.  How much of this is ‘normal’? Is any of this causing me problems? Why does it matter?

Anger can be seen on a scale – from out of control, red mist rage, to minor irritation.  In fact there is a Clinical anger Scale (Snell, 1995) which is used to measure anger. Anger is a problem when it hurts you or people around you. It isn’t the anger that’s the problem, it’s how you deal with it.  This is when it comes down to the kind of reaction you have – how the anger is expressed or kept inside.

It seems we tend to view anger as a ‘bad’ emotion – one we shouldn’t feel or worse still, shouldn’t express. It may be because we don’t like to lose control, or that ‘nice’ people don’t get angry, that we may be disapproved of, or for many other reasons.

Obviously anger outbursts which are physical in any way either to yourself, others or something physical (like the wall) do need attention, but just as damaging is the kind of anger which we contain and try to ignore.  This is the kind of anger which causes you to rant to your friends about the unfairness of it and your negative feelings towards those involved in the argument with you.  Its also the anger which wakes you up in the middle of the night whilst your head rants on “….and another thing…..” whilst you play put the conversation the way you would like but in reality feel you can’t.

Also on the anger scale is frustration.  This is unspoken anger and can in turn lead to maliciousness, resentment or vengeful feelings.  Most commonly this is on a minor scale – for example your partner didn’t put the bin out, so you don’t make him a cup of coffee when you get one for yourself etc.  This can grow over time if we don’t take steps to address it.

Ultimately why does any of this matter? In recognising your anger, how you express it – or don’t express it, allows you to self-reflect on your actions and emotions.  This helps you to recognise situations and people which cause you stress, feelings of anger, injustice, powerlessness and so on.  Once recognised, you can actually begin to do something about it.

Additionally It is now recognised that unresolved anger can lead to physical health problems including high blood pressure, heart attacks, depression, digestive problems and cold and flu (NHS), so the more you can process your anger and not supress it, the better the outcome for your physical health.

 

References

NHS (2011) How to control your anger.  Available online: http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/stress-anxiety-depression/Pages/controlling-anger.aspx

Snell, W (1995) The clinical anger scale.  Available at: http://www4.semo.edu/snell/scales/CAS.htm

Anger and insulin resistance

Anger has a physiological effects on our body, not just emotional:

One of the hormones released during anger is adrenaline.  This is one of the hormones involved in the ‘fight or flight’ response and it acts to convert glycogen stores in the body to glucose for action in case of danger or for energy for strenuous running. 

However, adrenaline is also released by the brain when it detects low sugar levels in the brain.  The brain can only burn glucose to function (whereas other cells in the body can burn fat as an energy supply if glucose levels are low).  Normally the slow-acting hormone glucagon signals the body to convert glycogen into glucose – whereas adrenaline is acts extremely quickly to liberate glucose.  As levels of glucose in the blood rise, the pancreas then releases insulin to tell the cells of the body to burn glucose.  The insulin receptors on the cells then tell the cell to use glucose.

So why is this a problem?

If we eat a high-sugar diet over a prolonged period of time, we keep exposing our body to wildly fluctuating sugar levels.  This is because many foods give up their glucose very quickly and give us high blood sugar levels followed by a slump which we try to compensate by eating high sugar foods again.  This is a destructive cycle which can lead to spikes in insulin release (to combat the high sugars) with a sudden crash in sugars (hypoglycaemia) leading to adrenaline release to provide the brain with sufficient glucose.  Overtime, this leads to insulin resistance which exacerbates the problem further still. This is a precursor of type 2 diabetes (Hypoglycaemic Health Association).

There are a number of studies which are connecting violent behaviour or anger outbursts with hypoglycaemia (Journal of Orthomolecular Medicine).  This is a problem in the body with handling sugar levels and is linked to insulin resistance (Hypoglycaemic Health Association).

Alcohol makes hypoglycaemia worse since alcohol lowers blood sugar (hence the ‘munchies’ when we have had too much to drink!) and the correspondence between alcohol and anger/violence (Diabetes.co.uk, Hypoglycaemic Health Association).

Allergies have also been linked to hypoglycaemic syndrome. Many common allergenic foods also lead to hypoglycaemia, as well as substances such as coffee (caffeine) and tobacco (nicotine). These all stimulate adrenaline production (Hypoglycaemic Health Association, How Stuff Works).

In summary, eat a well-balanced diet (preferably balancing slow release and fast releasing foods according to the rules of the Glycaemic Index), stop smoking (you know it’s bad for you!) and lower your intake of alcohol and coffee to help balance your blood sugar levels.

 

References

BBC (2011) Anger Management. Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/health/emotional_health/mental_health/coping_angermanagement.shtml

Diabetes.co.uk (2012) Diabetes and hypoglycaemia.  Available at: http://www.diabetes.co.uk/Diabetes-and-Hypoglycaemia.html

How Stuff Works (2012) How Nicotine works.  Available at: http://www.howstuffworks.com/nicotine3.htm

Hypoglycaemic Health Association (2011) Anger management: nutrition and psychotherapy.  Available at: http://www.hypoglycemia.asn.au/2011/anger-management-nutrition-and-psychotherapy/

Journal of Orthomolecular Medicine (2012) Hypoglycaemia and violence.  Available at: http://www.orthomolecular.org/library/jom/search_results.shtml?cx=012934609838436511334%3Aeuo7oo38sqc&cof=FORID%3A11&q=Hypoglycemia%2C+violence&sa=Search&siteurl=orthomolecular.org%2Flibrary%2Fjom%2Findex.shtml

Good fats and bad fats

High fat food is likely to make us put on weight since it is also high in calories and thus can make us weight gain.  Being overweight increases our risk of type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, strokes and heart attacks.  However not all fat is bad, nor does all fat raise our cholesterol. 

We need some fat in our diet since it helps us transport some vitamins around the body and provides essential nutrients such as essential fatty acids (EFA’s) which are thought to have a positive effect on the heart and immune system as well as having a key role in membrane structure. 

The easy way to remember which fat is good and which is bad is to remember that bad fats are generally solid at room temperature, whereas good fats are liquid at room temperature.

Saturated fats

These are the fats to avoid.  Saturated fats are generally found in products such as meat, cheese, butter, ice-cream, processed sweet food such as cakes and biscuits and coconut milk or cream.  These are known to raise bad cholesterol – LDL cholesterol which is linked to increased risks of development heart disease, strokes and type 2 diabetes.

Trans fats

Although these occur naturally in low levels in some meat and dairy products, they are mostly found in processed foods.  The food industry creates trans fats by turning a liquid oil into a solid in order to give products a longer shelf life and improve their texture and ‘mouth feel’.  Look out for ‘hydrogenated vegetable oil/fat’, ‘shortening’ or ‘partially hydrogenated vegetable oil/fat’ on food labels. 

Fried food is also a potential problem.  Try to avoid fried food you eat when you eat out since the oils they can be cooked in may also be hydrogenated (to make it more stable and hence reusable more times) and thus contain high levels of trans fats.  Similarly, don’t re-use oil at home since the repeated heating can create trans fats in it.

It is generally recommended that adults eat less than 5g per day.  However as a population we eat about half this amount since most food manufacturers have removed the hydrogenated vegetable oil from their products.  However, any food which is not in labelled packaging (like take away), or imported (and so not subject to UK food labelling regulations) may contain hidden trans fats.

So why are trans fats so bad for you? Not only do they raise levels of LDL ‘bad cholesterol’ but they also lower the levels of HDL ‘good cholesterol’ and so may cause even more damage than saturated fats.

Unsaturated fats

These are divided into 2 groups – polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats which have potentially different effects on blood cholesterol.

Polyunsaturated fats tend to be liquid at room temperature and may help lower your total and LDL (bad) cholesterol, but may also lower your HDL (good) cholesterol.  They can be divided into omega-3 and omega 6 – both of which are important for heart health.  However, omega-3 helps to reduce inflammation (and so is important in helping all inflammatory conditions) and for good cognitive function.  Our bodies are able to make limited amounts of omega-3 from plant sources such as nuts and seeds, but the best source is oily fish such as salmon and mackerel. 

Monunsaturated fats also tend to be liquid at room temperature but are the healthiest fats of all since they too help lower total and LDL cholesterol, but unlike polyunsaturated fats they maintain levels of HDL (good cholesterol).  These have also been shown in research to help with control of blood sugar & insulin levels and so may be helpful in diabetes.

Find these in olives, olive oil and olive spreads, rapeseed oil and spread, avocado, peanuts, peanut oil and peanut butter.

References
Mayo Clinic Nutrition and healthy eating. Available at: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/fat/NU00262 

NHS choices. High Cholesterol.  Available at: http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Cholesterol/Pages/Introduction.aspx 
 

Omega-3 and omega-6 - what's it all about?

Omega-3 and 6 – what do they do?

These are known as Essential Fatty Acids (EFA) as they are necessary for health, but our bodies don’t directly make them.  They are essential as the building blocks for hormones which control immune function, blood clotting, as well as being embedded in cell membranes and allowing the cells to be flexible and thus function at their best.  EFA also support the healthy functioning of your immune system, as well forming the membranes of nerve cells in the brain to allow them to grow and function normally.

There are 3 types of EFA known as ALA, EPA and DHA; ALA is converted to EPA in the body, and then onto DHA.   Although ALA can be converted it does require adequate levels of vitamins and minerals in the body, oestrogen (in women) and good liver function (since the liver converts it), but broadly speaking we are not very efficient at this conversion particularly as Western diets are higher in animal fats which impacts the conversion of ALA.

Most ALA comes from plant sources such as flax seed, walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts, kiwifruit and some meats and fish.  The richest sources of EPA and DHA are in the flesh of oily fish such as salmon, tuna and mackerel. 

EPA and DHA are both omega-3 fatty acids and are preformed and ready to be used in the body and therefore are the preferred form for us to eat.  As humans we have always been depend on the sea historically; indeed the Romans are recorded as using dolphins to coral fish.  It is suggested that since the beginnings of life when the first living system converted sun into electricity (sparking the evolution of the brain and nervous system), DHA was involved.  No molecule has ever replaced this in over 600 million years.

Pregnancy

In pregnancy and lactation, the baby uses a quarter of the mother’s stored omega-3 to make the brain.  From puberty as girls bodies change and fat stores are laid down, omega-3 is stored in the fat cells in readiness for eventual pregnancy.  This omega-3 is liberated and used during pregnancy and lactation, as well as having an increased dietary need.  This must be considered in subsequent pregnancies and if possible stored supplies should be replenished before pregnancy.

70% of the brain cells divide before the baby is born, therefore although we can supplement after birth there is a limit on how much change we can effect on the brain structure.  Having a good diet and supplementation during pregnancy is crucial.

Supplements

Supplements can only maintain the brain and cell function we already have.  There has been some research into increasing omega-3 in ADHD, but the research trials have been small with mixed results so there is no clear evidence at present.  There is no published guidance for the amount of omega-3 which should be consumed, so the best advice is to eat 1-2 servings of oily fish a week.

What’s the difference between omega-3 and omega-6?

Both are important for health, yet the most important thing we must be aware of is the ratio we consume them in our diets.  Historically it is believed that the ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 was 1:1 but it is now more likely to be 1:10 or even higher.

Why is this important?  This is really important since the enzymes which convert the omega-3 and 6 will use either EFA, but the results of the conversion of omega-3 are anti-inflammatory and anti-thrombotic (prevent the formation of clots), whereas the results of omega-6 conversion are pro-inflammatory and pro-thrombotic.    It is the ratio of these EFA’s which is crucial – we need to lower our intake of omega-6 to bring about balance.  Don’t think you should avoid omega-6 as it is necessary for health, just aim to alter the ratio of omega-3 to 6.  Be aware that too much omega-3 (3 servings a day) is also detrimental to health as it may raise risk of haemorrhagic stroke.

Omega-6 is plentiful in our diets in seed-based oils such as sunflower and corn oil, as well as in nuts, seeds, meat and dairy products.  Due to the use of oils in processed foods, we often eat a lot of hidden omega-6.  Try to cut down on vegetable oils, fried food, chips, crisps, snacks and seed oils and increase using extra virgin olive oil, eating oily fish twice a week, as well as eating walnuts and flax seeds.

It is suggested that this imbalance may explain the rise in inflammatory conditions such as asthma, coronary heart disease, many forms of cancer, autoimmune diseases and neurodegenerative diseases since these are believed to stem from inflammation in the body.  Additionally it is known that chronic tissue inflammation is indicated in the development of insulin resistance, therefore the anti-inflammatory action of omega-3 is important to uphold insulin sensitivity.  Furthermore there is also evidence which suggests that this imbalance could be a factor in violent behaviour, obesity, depression, hyperactivity and dyslexia. 

Correcting this imbalance could be a step in taking back control over your health – a step which is easy to take and can only improve our health and that of our families.

 

References

The Medical Biochemist.  Available at: http://themedicalbiochemistrypage.org/omegafats.php

Dr Weil.  Available at: http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/QAA400149/balancing-omega-3-and-omega-6.html

University of Maryland Medical Centre.  Available at: http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/omega-3-000316.htm

How stuff works.  Available at: http://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/food-nutrition/healthy-eating/5-foods-high-in-omega-3.htm

Why do we make these choices about food?

Many people decide to lose weight as a New Year resolution.  There are obviously lots of ways of dieting - from joining a local group to crash dieting, plus every kind of diet in between.  This blog is not concerned with the mechanics of dieting, but aims to look at WHY we choose to eat what we do.  I hope that having some understanding in this will help you to make the lifestyle changes we know we should to maintain a healthy weight that we are happy with.

As mum to 3 children I know that my kids will eat when they are bored, not just when they are actually hungry.  I also know that a cup of coffee makes me feel I should have a biscuit with it, even when I'm not hungry.  So why?  Hunger is clearly a physiological need, so why do we eat when we are not hungry and why do we chose what we do?

Eating can be habitual since food is now widely available at all times, as well as the socially accepted norms of mealtimes where there is an expectation that we eat, regardless of whether we are hungry or not.  We have a very personal relationship with food - after all its something we take into our bodies and it becomes part of us. 

Physiological need
Our brains organise and manage hunger, and when we start and stop eating. 

• Seeing, smelling or even thinking about food triggers hunger. 
• We start to salivate and our stomachs begin to release gastric juices in anticipation. 
• Once we start to eat, the variety of foods we eat (and variety of sensory properties of the foods) can further stimulate eating.
• Our stomach begins to stretch and this is detected by stretch receptors which send signals to the brain.
• The presence of food in our small intestine releases hormones which reduce hunger and increase our sense of fullness.  One of the hormones (CCK) is stimulated particularly by the presence of protein and fat digestive products.  In fact the presence of protein in the stomach has a restraining effect of our food intake.
• Carbohydrate rich meals further suppress hunger for between 1-3 hours after eating.
• Fat rich meals have no effect on satiety and no subsequent effect on hunger

Habit
Food is widely available in our society - we could eat 24/7 if we wanted.  Generally speaking most people eat at set mealtimes, with varying snacks in between times.  This has become our cultural habit, but in other poorer societies it is habit to eat only once or twice a day, so we can see from this that there is no physiological need to eat so frequently.

Although most of us eat according to set mealtimes, but some people eat whenever food is available as they simply cannot resist the urge to eat.  Others may eat only tiny amounts or avoid food altogether. These are the extremes of overeating, bingeing and purging or anorexia.  These are all issues of control which are commonly more powerful than the physiological need for food.

Psychological effect
Comfort eating
Boredom can be a major incentive to eating (as I have witnessed with my kids!), similarly depression and anxiety can also turn us to food as comfort.  It is believed that this stems from our childhoods where treats are given to children by parents as reassurance (after hurting themselves, or when they are afraid etc).  This links positive feelings and love with food.  This can also be seen at events such as funerals where people come together to share food, as a comforting gesture for both those providing the food as well as those eating it.  The opposite can be true - in times of great stress some people suffer with loss of apetite and an inability to eat.

We often reward ourselves with 'comfort food' - like teens do when they are revising - crisps and chocolate in each study break,  or having biscuits in coffee breaks at work for having dealt with a tedious or difficult task.  We sometimes look for foods we associate with good times (like on holiday or a great night out).  Conversely we avoid certain foods due to a poor experience such as eating and then vomitting.

Food as love
Similarly if we see how provision of food is linked with loving and caring - like all the best Jewish mothers (myself included) - it is easy to see how when people reject our food it can be hurtful and painful.  This can happen with young children when they are learning about food - they can become manipulative and reject food to gain attention, as a control mechanism or to express anger, jealousy or insecurity.   Anxious parents may overfeed their children to relieve their own anxiety about them. 

As parents we need to give thought to how we link food with love - food as a treat to satisfy our emotional needs rather than physiological need.

Food as a replacement for emotions
This has some cross over with comfort eating and food as love. 

Think about what is happening when you reach for food...Are you actually hungry (physiologically) or are you attempting to pacify a negative feeling?

Do you feel angry, bored, restless, anxious, sad or stressed?  Is this why you think you are hungry??  Try naming this emotion to yourself in this moment - then eat. 

In time you will tell yourself 'I dont really need this' - and then you will be able to chose whether or not you go with your eating habit, or chose to ingrain your new habit of feeling the emotion and then coping with it.

The thing to remember is that it takes time to make a new habit - from turn it into the unconscious thing you do, into a new 'muscle memory' so it becomes a new habit.  The greater the awareness you bring to your actions when you reach for food, the stronger you will make those new connections in your brain and begin to hardwire a new habit.

To help you cope - try talking it over with someone in your life who is empathetic, supportive and non-judgemental.  This is an aspect we will return to in a future blog...

Sensory appeal
We know that the way food looks, smells and tastes can increase our desire to eat.  How often do you watch a TV advert about food, or cooking programme and then feel hungry? 

We have certain expectations about how a food will taste by its appearance - orange food should be acidic and fruity for example.  Likewise the smell of food must meet these expectations - we use this to detect if food is 'off'.  Think about how your desire for food changes when you have a cold - your sense of taste and smell is altered and you may then crave something different to eat or drink than normal (always useful information for your homeopath) - or you may not be hungry at all.

The highest number of taste buds are in children who have them on the insides of the cheek and throat as well as over the surface of their tongue.  The number of these begin to decrease with adolesence and are considerably reduced by the age of 70.  This explains why childrens food preferences are driven by taste.  Children have a preference for sweet tastes and avoid bitter tastes (breastmilk is sweet).  The liking for sweetness tends to lessen in adolescence (more so in girls than boys).  This is commonly when we teach ourselves to like bitter tastes such as beer and coffee.

Taste perception can change in certain circumstances - pregnancy, surgical patients and cancer suffers report an altered ability to taste certain foods.  It is suggested that this is due to an altered status of Zinc.

The texture and taste in your mouth provides pleasurable aspects in eating - the feel of the food including its texture, temperature and even any pain it produces (such as 'brain freeze' when eating icecream).

We know that when we are cutting back on salt and sugar that food and drinks won't seemingly taste as nice, but in time the altered taste becomes the norm.  This is an important point when you are trying to make changes to your diet - you can either go for broke and make massive changes if you think that will be the only way, or you can gradually cut down on something to allow your tastes to change. 

Try a new food (especially one you think you won't like) at least once a day for anywhere between 7 and 30 times.  This can re-educate your taste buds into adjusting and then even liking the new food.  I'm trying this with kiwi fruit....

Variety of foods
Variety of food also encourages us to eat.  Studies of animals and humans have shown that when offered a single food we eat less compared to when we are offered a variety.  Humans will also overeat when offered something new - like eating a dinner and then being offered dessert - we manage to find a space to eat it even though we are full (my children maintain we have a dinner stomach and a pudding stomach).  It has also been shown that more food is eaten when accompanied by wine and eaten in a social setting (shame!).

Monotony imposes limits on eating, whereas multiple courses which stimulate our senses will encourage greater food intake. 
 
Social influences
Food can be used in a social context to please or displease others.  Offering food or drink is recognised as a gesture of hospitality and refusal can be interpretted as a gesture of hostility.  This can even extend to eating a food which is disliked to avoid offending the giver (I've eaten cheesey apple tart despite hating it to avoid being 'rude').

In situations where food is scarce, or budgets are tight, wasting food may be socially unacceptable and people may feel obliged to eat everything offered.

How do we get our food habits?
As we have seen, the primary reason for eating is hunger, but that what and when we eat is a reflection on who we are, the society we live in, our upbringing and how we see ourselves.

Our food habits are a product of environmental influences on our culture and are in general resistance to change.  The strongest influence on this is likely to be our mothers since these are commonly most invloved with the provision of food whilst we are young.  The next major influence is likely to be school where behaviour is learnt from other children or other school adults.  Later still foreign travel and a widening social circle will influence our food habits.

Changing our food habits
Although food habits are resistant to change, they are not static and unchangeable.  Sometimes change is driven by cultural changes - such as a greater proportion of working woman has lead to a rise in the availability of convenience food.  Cultural changes also mean that many families no longer eat their meals together - on average of 3 meals can be eaten outside the home (representing 30% additional expenditure on food) (Taken from a survey by DEFRA, 2001).

The media can effect change on our food habits - through advertising, cookery programmes, newspaper articles or through role models (such as thin woman being healthy and attractive).

A change in our health can change our food habits - such as type 2 diabetes, but this can be a huge struggle for people to maintain despite having a very good health reason for doing so.

One of our biggest drives to change our diet is to change our weight and improve our health and energy.  How do we turn 'should' into 'can'?

Think about the strength of your belief that
food and healthy eating are important

• that eating a healthy balanced diet can affect your health
• making a change to food and eating has a major influence on food habits

If you feel ambivalent about these factors then change may be difficult to bring about.  We diet to lose weight (often through crash diets, or faddy diets) and then go back to how we ate before - back on goes the weight.

In summary, making a change to your diet is far greater than just eating more vegetables or ditching carbs.  To make a lasting change, think about why and where your food habits come from and how you can change them if they are contributing to a less than healthy lifestyle.